Do you have an expensive loading dock? If so, take care of it! To avoid needing dock equipment or commercial garage door service in McDonough, GA, you must make preventative maintenance a top priority, even if you just do the basics but then schedule regular professional inspections.
Maintaining your dock equipment
Businesses that require a loading dock know how important this piece of machinery is. Used for loading and unloading trucks or other types of freight, in most cases, a platform that is not well maintained can cause a business’ operations to come to a standstill—or worse, inflict physical harm. Take preventative measures so you don’t lose time or money, or unknowingly risk safety, by performing regular and scheduled maintenance on your loading dock equipment:
- In regards to overall mechanics, set aside time to turn your equipment on so you can listen for strange noises—like clicking, banging and screeching—and feel for anything unusual—like vibrations, thumping and excessive heat.
- Inspect all around for damage, even get a close-up look at smaller components, as well as the more vulnerable sections, such as areas that have been welded or have had recent repairs.
- Check fluid levels frequently and make sure joints, hinges, pivot points and pins have adequate lubrication so they can function as they should. But leave loose chains and bolts and the hydraulic cylinder to the pros.
- Depending on how much action your platform sees, you may need to clean it daily, weekly or monthly. A simple, quick wipe-down to remove dust and debris works for equipment that sees regular maintenance, but a significantly dirty or jammed up dock may need professional cleaning services.
Do you have a commercial roll-up garage door installed as a part of your loading dock? Doors are important dock parts that need maintenance right along with everything else.
Maintain your commercial garage door
You may have a roll-up door, which is also an essential piece of dock equipment. Since the garage door on your warehouse or commercial building gets used often, make sure that everyone knows not to violently slam it open and shut, and request that all door issues get reported. This is for both worker safety and keeping your commercial door in good condition. And of course heavy, constant use can lead to normal wear and tear over time, but you can avoid problems with your garage door with regular maintenance and inspections.
Whether manual or motorized, check the sensory system on loading dock doors to ensure it will function properly should someone or something get in the way, and inspect springs, cables, brackets and other attached hardware for damage. Tracks with friction issues may need realignment or just a little readjusting followed by greasing. Broken springs can prove tricky and dangerous—please contact a professional to handle spring issues.
Don’t let problems with your garage door or loading dock equipment force you to hit the pause button on your business. Whether you need commercial garage door service in McDonough, GA or are looking for quality dock equipment, at Affordable Dock & Door, we are ready to help—we even provide emergency repair services.